Search Sort Posts:  Oldest to newest Newest to oldest

17/03/2010, 23:26 Russethouse Joined on 23/08/2004 Forum Moderator Posts 12,125 Re: So Where to Start ? Only 10k over what you aid its worth - what a snip ! I don't live in France and I'm personally pre disposed toward Brittany because of my hobby, but my feeling is that Loire Atlantique is a good place to start, but then I like the sea, you may not. www.quimperclub.org 99    Report

18/03/2010, 0:14 Sprogster Joined on 23/08/2004 Var & C.I. Posts 662 Re: So Where to Start ? Learn French, travel to the regions in France you think you might like, not only in summer but winter as well. Most importantly live for today as tomorrow might not come and ten years is a long way away!    Report

18/03/2010, 5:57 gardengirl Joined on 30/09/2007 SE UK/Gard Posts 1,246 Re: So Where to Start ? Lots of good advice here, plus a few laughs! (wish I could add a smile here; my icons have gone again; last time it happened I read here to use the torn paper symbol, but that has failed me this morning!) I'd echo trying various departements over several years, and at all different times of the year. We knew our area from many visits - although the recent snow was a shock - 30 cms in our town (in March, too!), but we'd left for UK two days previously! Rent in an area you think you might like to live; we did this twice when we thought we'd like to move to the Drome, which we already knew. We loved it, but we're very glad we lost the house we fell for - we bought in the Gard instead, somewhere we'd known and loved for years, but hadn't thought we could afford. Learning the language as well as possible can't be stressed too highly. I still find chatting on the market etc difficult at times - and my husband sometimes swears it isn't French they're speaking here - and of course he's right - here it's nothing like what you learn at school, on courses etc. Sprogster, you are so wise with your comment about living for today. Dreams are so important, but I've got friends who always had plans - and that's how they stayed - he died, and she has so many regrets for what might have been. None of us has a crystal ball - thank goodness - but health problems and money concerns can change your life. Plan for tomorrow, but live for today. ;o) Good friends are like stars ...... you don't always see them, but you know they're always there.    Report

18/03/2010, 6:10 Bugsy Joined on 15/11/2006 Vienne (86) The Nice Bit Posts 5,881 Re: So Where to Start ?  Russethouse wrote: ..........................and I'm personally pre disposed toward Brittany because of my hobby, That would be Sailors then............... . "Growing Old is Inevitable - Growing up is Totally Optional"    Report

18/03/2010, 7:07 woolybanana Joined on 27/08/2007 Vendée Posts 3,783 Re: So Where to Start ? Funny, I thought the same thing. RH is doubtless blushing now that her secret is out.      Report

18/03/2010, 7:19 gardengirl Joined on 30/09/2007 SE UK/Gard Posts 1,246 Re: So Where to Start ? Well, they do say that all the nice girls love a sailor! ;o) Good friends are like stars ...... you don't always see them, but you know they're always there.    Report

18/03/2010, 8:43 Gin62 Joined on 16/03/2008 Pas de Calais/Somme Posts 20 Re: So Where to Start ? We started off with holidays in Brittany and the Loire, then by chance stayed in the Pas de Calais and discovered what a wonderful part of France it was. We saw a house  for Sale on a bike ride, went into St Omer to the estate agent. They were closed it was monday and we were going home the following morning. Happily it was in their window 5 beds far too big for us. But on arrival in Uk we put our house on the Market (1998) sold it brought a smaller house in uk and brought outright an old traditional farmhouse and barn in a small village. For holidays it was superb we did sympathic renovations to let the torchy breathe and had a complete new roof. After my husband retired in 2004, we came to live in france full time and thought we loved the house, shopping had to be carefully planned or else a 10mile round trip, and our nearest neighbours were farmers, no problem just a lack of people to pass the time with, many wave from a tractor. We kept our house in uk for 2 years to be sure we adapted to french life and had no regrets. Going  through our local town one day we saw a house we had always admired up for sale and within our price range, we had already sold our uk house, So we put our french house on the market and sold it to a french couple for a maison secondaire (2008). We are now very happy in our town house, shopping When necessary on foot and loads of people to pass the time with. Renting is a good idea, and as others have said life is far to short to put things off. Have courage and go for it. But spend time looking at houses and perhaps take sensible friends with you to take off the rose tinted specs we sometimes wear when looking at a new life and also if you wish to live in the country, you need to consider what  your  views are on hunting. so good luck   Gillian and Albert Gillian www.french-dressing.fr    Report

18/03/2010, 9:04 Will Joined on 22/09/2004 Sussex & 50 (Mortainais) Posts 6,077 Re: So Where to Start ? Before you go too far down the 'smallholding' route, do a search for 'MSA', particularly about registering with that body and paying cotisations to it. It's not an insurmountable problem, a lot of people seem to be able to make it work, but it's something you need to be aware of. Horses - look at some of the other forums to see what an outwardly nice and cuddly but inwardly bitchy and unpleasant lot the British horse owners in France seem to be. Maybe it's the same everywhere, but I don't remember those feuds when we had a horse in England. Will intentionally blank signature http://www.vienormande.com    Report

18/03/2010, 9:07 Judith Joined on 01/02/2006 Posts 879 Re: So Where to Start ? Only you can decide which region / department you like best - it matters not if everyone else says - I like this one best - you may not. You have the time to research - indeed, if you do not plan to move for 10 years, it would be better to explore and try out different areas at different times of the year before even considering type of house etc.,  In 10 years time your ideas may (will most likely) have changed - ours did.  And they continue to change, we now hope to move, our requirements as we get older are changing more than we had expected too. But you should definitely start the language lessons as soon as poss, and use it - watch French TV in England, find real French speakers (they don't speak pure French down here - its a mixture of occitan, Spanish and French) and they go so fast ..... only live TV or radio will get anywhere close to the approximation of the language you will hear on the ground - even with all my years of French learning (between 40 and 50) I am still stumped.  And, as has already been said - be flexible.  My situation changed and I came out earlier than expected (though only a year so not much difference), but we still had to allow for it.   In 5 years time you may find your situtation has also changed, and if you've been doing the research (not just the location, but French life, laws, regulations, succession etc - all may change in that time), you will be better prepared to be sure once the time comes. Sorry to moralise a little, but 10 years ago I wanted so much to come to France and work (I was out of work at the time) but just a little bit of research here is France showed that it was not a goer - so I stayed in England for another 9 years - as at least there I could get a job, BUT - with the knowledge that I had the time to prepare properly etc. Judith ex W1, 47, 11 and now [just about] in the Herault, where I hope we'll stay!!    Report

Page 2 of 4 (35 items) < 1 2 3 4 >

France ForumMovingFinding/Owning ...Re: So Where to Start ?

(please select) Forums Home |- Search Forums |- Active Topics |- Unanswered Posts User Options |- Sign In |- Join this community |- Forgot Password About This Forum (READ ONLY) |- About This Forum Moving |- Finding/Owning French Property |- Making the Move From Outside the EU |- Long-Term Letting |- Employment Vacancies in France Legal and Finance |- French Legal Issues |- French Finance Building and Renovation |- House Renovations |-- Working with Wood Living |- Earning a Living |- NEW - Money Saving Expat |- Driving in France |- French Education |- People with Disabilities in France |- Pets |- Animal Welfare, Rescue & Protection |- French Satellite TV, French Internet and Telephone |- Health |-- Changes to Healthcare Entitlement, CPAM, CMU and Cartes Vitales |- Swimming Pools in France Owning/Running a Business |- French Artisans |- Gite Owners Forum |- Hotel and Restaurant Owners |- B&B/Chambres d'Hôtes Owners Leisure and Pastimes |- Gardening |- Sport, Leisure and Pastimes |- Shopping |- French Antiques, Arts & Crafts |- Photography in France |- Motorcycling in France |- Books and Literature |- Getting Married in France |- Pregnancy and Birth French Culture |- French Food and Wine |- French Culture |- French Language |-- French Language FAQs and Useful Links |- Wildlife/Nature/Environment |- French History Travelling to/from France |- Travelling to/from France |- Latest Good Value Deals to/from France Holidays |- Holidays General Discussion |- The Complete France Post Bag |- The Lighter Side |- Other Topics |- Forum Technical Support |- Useful Links About France/French Living Regions |- Central (Centre, Limousin, Auvergne) |- North East (Champagne-Ardennes, Lorraine, Alsace) |- North West (Basse-Normandie, Haute-Normandie, Picardie, Nord Pas-de-Calais) |- Paris Ile de France |- South East (Languedoc-Roussillon, Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur) |- South West (Aquitaine, Midi-Pyrénées) |- East (Rhône-Alpes, Bourgogne, Franche-Comté) |- West (Bretagne, Pays de la Loire, Poitou-Charente) |- Corsica and DOM-TOMs